The Telescope 66.13

The Telescope 66.13

the telescope
Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper
Vol. 66, No. 13 • Monday, March 18, 2013 1140 W. Mission Rd, San Marcos, Calif.
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BUDGET
ASG BUDGET APPROVED FOR NEW SCHOOL YEAR
APRIL TESTERMAN
THE TELESCOPE
Palomar’s Associated Student Government (ASG) started the school year with $300,000 to spend on events, student advocacy and other general expenditures. As of press time, only 7.5 percent has been spent thus far. The ASG has three funds to spend on specific events and causes: Fund 71, Fund 72 and Fund 73. Not all funds were spent in Fund 71 and 72 during the 2011-2012 school year allowing for a rollover amount of about $200,000 for the two accounts. According to ASG Sen. Dane Thorp and President Johnathan Farmer the
ASG has never gotten close to spending the full amount in any account. “We are fiscally responsible...If something came along that was very beneficial to the students, I would absolutely spend it,” Farmer said. Farmer also said something the ASG is looking into is using Fund 71 money to buy a few Redbox dispensers to put in the Student Union, which would produce revenue for the ASG in addition to serving the student body. A sum of $30,000 is given to Fund 71 by the Palomar Community College district every year, which is generated through taxpayer dollars. The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) generally donates about $4,000 into this
fund as well. Farmer said a lot of this money goes toward the Inter-Club Council (ICC), but according to public documents, they have only budgeted about $5,800 toward the ICC. As of July 2012 (when the fiscal year begins), Fund 71 had $105,000 in it -The ASG has spent about $10,000 of that money as of press time. The ASG is expecting to have a rollover fund of about $90,000 into the 2013-2014 budget for 71, which means the ASG will continue to have a surplus of money in Fund 71, according to the 2013-2014 proposed budget.
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WHAT’S INSIDE
BREAKING DOWN
TRANSPORTATION
2 4 7
12
PFF RESOLUTION PROPOSED
SPRINTER CLOSURE FORCES STUDENTS TO FIND ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION
NEWS / Palomar’s Faculty Federation has proposed a new resolution that would provide students with quality education and partnerships with private industries.
FIANCIAL AID NOT HELPFUL?
OPINION / A Telescope staff writer claims that FAFSA’s funds distribution system is flawed.
GRADUATION CEREMONY
LIFE / Plans are already in the works for Palomar’s commencement ceremony May 24.
TRACK AND FIELD’S DEPTH
SPORTS / Palomar track and field team’s depth pushes athletes to work harder to succeed.
transfer
New transfer program to Arizona State University
MARISSA MILLOY
THE TELESCOPE
Palomar College is one of 19 community colleges in California that has recently partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) in a new transfer guarantee program. Approximately 9,000 transfer students enroll at ASU, both online and on campus, each academic year. Transfer students account for about 12 percent of ASU’s total enrollment. ASU is a nationally recognized PAC-12 research university. According to Russ Knocke, director of communications at ASU Online, the goal of the program is to help community college students get to the next step in their education ventures. “Too often we hear of students being shut out of higher education options. We are hoping to increase access for students to obtain bachelor’s degrees from a highly ranked, reputable research university such as Arizona State University,” Knocke said in an email. The program is the first outreach program by ASU for out-of-state students looking to transfer. “This is the first time we have developed an initiative of this kind for out- ofstate community colleges,” Knocke said.
LEFT: Empty Sprinter station and sign informing students about Sprinter shutdown at Palomar College station March 10. • Heather Randall/Telescope RIGHT: Palomar students board a Sprinter Express Bus at the Palomar transit station to their final destination. • Peter Ahsue/Telescope
COLLEEN PETERS
THE TELESCOPE
SPRINTER SHUTDOWN
• THE SPRINTER OFFICALLY CLOSED MARCH 9 • COULD BE CLOSED FOR UP TO FOUR MONTHS • BUS SERVICE IS BEING INCREASED • MORE INFORMATION AND BUS SCHEDULES AVAILABLE AT GONCTD.COM
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Palomar students who normally take the Sprinter to school were left scrambling to find new forms of transportation last week. The North County Transit District (NCTD) announced that starting at midnight on March 9, the Sprinter light-rail service would be shutting down for up to four months. The shutdown, according to NCTD officials, is due to brake maintenance. According to the NCTD website, during a state inspection, part of the Sprinter’s braking system was shown to have accelerated wearing. The transit district said no passengers were ever at risk, and the brake system was up to state standards. Student reaction to the shutdown was mixed. Student Marie Ramirez, 17, was unaware of the interruption until she arrived at the Buena Creek station. “It wasn’t so bad taking the bus
because I know the bus schedules,” Ramirez said. “The only bummer is I have to spend an extra hour at school waiting for the bus.” Palomar College sent out an email alert on the morning of March 11 informing students of the closure. According to Laura Gropen, Palomar’s public information officer, college officials plan to continue to notify students of any changes and updates through student emails and posting information on the marquee that is at the main entrance of the San Marcos campus. Student Michael Sterling, 18, was aware of the shutdown before the
email on Monday morning. While he was frustrated with the delays he was facing, he understood why NCTD chose to shut the train system down temporarily. “I have a 5-mile walk to the Vista Transit Center, so I have to leave a lot earlier. It’s a major inconvenience, but I’d rather be inconvenienced than die in a horrific train crash,” Sterling said. But the change is still a hassle for him. “I’m waking up earlier and I get to places later,” he added. “I actually had to quit my job because the Sprinter was how I got there, so I can’t get down there anymore.” The cashier’s office sells bus passes at a discounted rate of $47 per month. Normally the pass is $59 per month. The passes, however, are only sold between the 25th and the 10th of the month. School and NCTD officials were unaware if this policy would be changing due to the shutdown.
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2 • NEWS
Campus safety
Monday, March 18, 2013
Clery report helps keep Palomar students safe and aware
2011, up from zero in 2010. The report is generated through the Clery Act, also known as the Campus Security Act, which requires that higher learning institutions disclose information about crime and safety on and around their campuses. This act was created because a 19-year-old university freshman named Jeanne Clery was raped and killed in her dorm room in April 1986. Her parents discovered there were 38 violent crimes in three years at the university that nobody told them about. Hoping to ensure future campus safety, they sued. Every year, the Palomar College Police Department sends emails through eservices providing the website to enrolled students and faculty so they may access the report. The report is broken up into classifications. Under the category of crime, statistics appear regarding homicide, manslaughter, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, drug and liquor violations and intimidation. These are also each broken up into sub-categories of general crime and hate crime. Timely warnings are issued when there is an ongoing threat to the campus and/or students, and can be reported for most of the crimes previously listed. There are also statistics and safety tips on emergency situations, including bomb threats, armed intruders, fires, explosions, gas leaks and earthquakes. Evacuation plans as well as relocation areas are specified in the report also. There are multiple contact numbers listed in case of emergency, as well as steps to be taken if one of the events listed should occur. The campus police statement is listed in the report, stating their mission to “create a safe environment conductive to academic excellence.” For more information on the Clery Act, visit www2.palomar. edu/pages/police. For hard copies of the Clery Report, visit the Palomar Police Department offices located at the entrance to both the Escondido and San Marcos campuses, or call the Records Division of the Police Department at 760744-1150 ext. 3977.
Jordan greene
the telescope
There was one forcible sexual assault reported at Palomar College in 2010 and another in 2011, according to a crime report. According to the 2012 Clery Report, 12 people were arrested for drug law violations and another seven for weapons possession on the San Marcos campus in 2011. This number is slightly increased from 2010, where 10 were arrested for drugs and six for weapons. The report also showed four motor vehicle thefts reported in
Money
aids
Retaking classes a no-go
Jordan Greene
the telescope
About 51 percent of students in community colleges have repeated a course for a variety of reasons in the 2009-10 school year, according to a news release from the California Community College Chancellor’s office. Due to severe budget cuts and a lack of focus on courses required for students to obtain degrees, the California Community College Board of Governors has proposed a plan to stop students from repeating classes they had already passed. The policy change has been approved and will take effect at all community colleges in California starting Fall 2013.The policy states that students will be allowed to repeat courses if they are: required for transfer, legally mandated courses, intercollegiate athletics courses or changes in industry/licensure standards. According to Drector of Communications and Marketing and Public Affairs Laura Gropen, the amount of time between courses can allow someone to repeat a certain course. The California Community Colleges took a $502 million cut in the 2011-2012 academic year, and colleges are now being hit with an unexpected revenue shortfall of $149
million because of property tax and student fees being lower than original estimates. The new policy will redirect taxpayer dollars to courses that are in demand, such as English and mathematics.The state of California gives community colleges money in the form of apportionment. The full time equivalent students (FTES) percent determines how many full time students are enrolled at a school, and the state government gives money accordingly.The policy is designed to save the state money by granting apportionment for each student taking a course that is not repeatable. It is also to get students through school and on track with degree or transfer requirements quicker and while only taking necessary courses once. “Budget cuts have forced us to ration education, and we are currently turning away hundreds of thousands of students from our campuses that want to pursue a degree,” California Community Colleges Board of Governors President Scott Himelstein said in the news release. The change will support the California Community Colleges Student Success Task Force, the goal of better aligning courses with student education plans and needs.
TOP: Students study the AIDS quilt after Bill Jahnel’s presentation. • April Testerman/Telescope Left: History Professor Bill Jahnel gives the presentation, “Memory Quilts: Love and Loss in Needle and Thread,” that gave the history of the AIDS quilt and other commemorative quilts in the Palomar Library on March 12, 2013. • April Testerman/Telescope
Resolutions
Palomar Faculty Federation proposes resolution to Governing Board
ChristinE Foronda
the telescope
There is a new resolution proposed by the Palomar Faculty Federation (PFF) that aims to provide students with quality education and create partnerships with private industries. The privatization of public education, according to PFF Lead Negotiator Teresa Laughlin, means using tax payer money to spend on private, for-profit educational services. The resolution was presented to the PFF executive board on Feb. 29 and to the Faculty Senate on March 2. It requires that all new and continuing educational contracts with private firms undergo careful con-
sideration by the Faculty Senate and the Palomar Faculty Federation before approval by the Board of Trustees, according to the PFF. “When it comes to the concern of privatizing education, it really is a joint responsibility between the PFF and the Faculty Senate, and that’s why we are working together to come up with a resolution that both parties can agree to,” said, Laughlin an economic professor. Palomar College Student Aaron Wolfe said that having the PFF give serious consideration to all contracts with private corporations assures him that he is getting quality education. “[The PFF’s] approach to outsourcing classes to private firms
gives me full confidence that they put the quality of the Palomar College education over making profit,” he said. She explained that the concern stems from technology continually changing, such as learning from a book to learning from a television to learning from a computer, and whether or not a certain technology is pedagogically sound for students. She also said she believes that there is more to learning than just the information and it is important to have someone to guide you when you are learning. Laughlin added that “with the rush to do more online stuff, the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and the idea that for-
profit colleges are coming in and offering packaged deals to other colleges saying ‘Oh, we’ll just take over this whole program for you, you don’t worry about a thing anymore,’ what can often happen is that students get an inferior education and it is so much more expensive for them.” However, she does not want anyone to get the wrong idea, she said the college maintains positive partnerships with several private corporations such as Venture, which offers several workforce and community development classes, and ON Course, a professional development program. “We are not talking about just saying ‘no’ to everything,” Laughlin said. “What we’re saying is
‘let’s consider it.’ Does it help our students and how does it help our students?” Laughlin explained that currently the faculty is often not notified of the contracts, but the resolution proposes to change that by keeping the PFF and the Faculty Senate informed of any bond with private firms so that they can consider them. The faculty just wants to be able to evaluate these contracts before they are entered into and have a voice if there is a concern, according to Laughlin. “We want to make sure that more eyes are looking at things so that, if there is a concern that a contract with a private firm may not benefit the students, we could stop it,” Laughlin said.
the telescope
ONLINE
NEWS • 3
MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES MAY COME TO PALOMAR
CAROLYNE CORELIS
THE TELESCOPE
A new experimental higher education course called Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have piqued the interest of educators worldwide, including the faculty and administrators at Palomar College. MOOCs are already being provided by universities around the United States. With esteemed universities like University of California, Berkeley, Stanford, Columbia and University of California, San Diego providing courses for free and open to the public on websites, more higher learning institutions are considering implementing their own massive open online courses. Palomar College professors have joined the national discussion on the possibility of introducing classes that would be available for the public with enrollment in one class reaching to as many as 3,000 students, Palomar College administration said. Students can participate in massive online courses via websites like Khan Academy, Coursera, Udacity and Wikiversity. Many of the classes offered through these platforms are free and only require the student to complete the class. Palomar College Academic Technology Coordinator Lillian Payn has been including Palomar College in the discussion of bringing large enrollment classes to Palomar’s virtual campus. She said Palomar’s Faculty Sen-
ate and the Academic Technology Committee are discussing how to offer MOOCs that maintain “a high level of scrutiny for our curriculum and instructional delivery,” Payn said. Payn added that it is important to consider how MOOCs would be implemented at Palomar College. The courses that are offered online to a large audience will need to be of the same quality or higher than the physical classes offered on campus, she added. Payn said she is skeptical that an educator’s passion for a subject they teach will be effectively transferred through a digital platform. Students are also worried about a MOOC’s feasibility. Palomar College student Ryan Lloyd, 24, took 14 units online last semester. He said the online classes were very expensive and difficult for him to manage, so an online class with even more students would be harder. “I wouldn’t recommend it,” Lloyd said. “I passed only two out of the four classes because it was too much for me to handle. You have to be really good at time management and have a lot of discipline.” Not everyone agrees. Palomar student Marco Gamez, 28, said he thinks that the classes are a good opportunity. “[Student] success is up to the person who is taking the class...I don’t see the harm,” he said. In early February, five Coursera classes received accreditation from the American Council of
Education (ACE), an organization that is an authority in non-traditional methods of higher education. Students can receive credit for classes hosted at UC Irvine, Duke University and University of Pennsylvania. The Coursera website explains that students can take a “credit
Photo illustration • Chris Strach/ San Jose Mercury News/MCT Campus
exam” for a small fee, and then are required to request a transcript from ACE. Then, it is up to the university to decide to award credit. Udacity announced a partnership with San Jose State in January, according to engadget.com, a daily tech news website. The article explained that introductory and remedial courses in college algebra would be available for $150 to 300 students with
half of the spots reserved for San Jose State students. Ivy League universities like Yale, MIT and Stanford have provided access to open courses through their own websites and through popular mediums like podcasting and iTunes University. According to mooc.ca, MOOCs are designed to help students have an education without the constraints of a traditional education. MOOCs are designed to have an abundance of content and students are encouraged to “pick and choose” content that appears interesting to them. After the knowledge has been digested, mooc.ca facilitators George Siemens and Stephen Downs encourage students to share what they have learned through various social networks creating a web of peers that extends past the timeline of the course. Large enrollment classes previously were not available to the public until advent of the internet, which allowed for broadcasting through websites like Youtube and Blackboard. Recently, websites such as Coursera and Udacity have partnered with respected institutions and companies to provide highly specific courses focusing on new technologies. Because of this ease of access for students and management through various platforms shown by websites like the Khan Academy, smaller more local institutions are considering participating massive open online classes as well.
In January, Information Week wrote an article about a University of California Los Angeles conference held to discuss the impact of massive open online education in California. Many of the educators who attended the conference voiced concerns over the departure from faculty-driven learning, cautioning against major changes without proper research into the educational impact. Educators warned against the possibility of private companies and institutions being included in the discussion, which could influence the quality of the information presented in the massive online classes. The caution shown by California educators is in part due to Gov. Jerry Brown’s decision to sign two new bills into existence creating 50 open-source textbooks available online and an open-source library to host said online textbooks, Information Week presented. The bill drew the attention of major textbook publishers and the attention of California’s wide network of universities. MOOCs are only a possibility for Palomar College said Payn, and, for now, not available through Palomar. Large-enrollment classes remain a highly experimental process, and until their effectiveness to teach is proven, new courses in that style will not be offered at Palomar.
CCORELIS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
American Indian Studies
American Indian Studies department looks forward to change
Nicole Gibbs
the telescope
Palomar College’s American Indian Studies (AIS) department is looking forward to some exciting events this year. The AIS department has been invited to an Earth Day celebration at the La Jolla Indian Reservation on April 16. AIS is also looking to hire a new American Indian political science professor. The department is able to hire this new faculty member due, in part, to funds the college will be receiving from Prop. 30, according to department chair, Patricia Dixon. The decision to hire another AIS faculty member was made because of a suggestion from the Instructional Planning Council, which is a part of the shared governance structure of the college. The council makes recommendations based on the required number of faculty and departmental needs. “We don’t want to just study Indians from the past, we want to study Indians today, we want to be involved in issues that affect Indians now,” she said. “Palomar College is home to
one of the biggest American Indian Studies departments in the country and we are very proud of our department,” said Palomar College President and Superintendent President Robert Deegan. More recently, members of the AIS department have stepped into discussions about the expansion of the college after an ongoing project was interrupted by an unexpected discovery. In March 2012, construction began on Horse Ranch Creek Road that will lead to a satellite campus in Fallbrook. The construction of the road turned into somewhat of a scandal when evidence of human remains of the Tom-Kav village were found at the site. Palomar College purchased the land that the campus is to be built on in 2007. Previous to the purchase, the land had been part of Parkay Ranch. “The area was farmland for 100 years before we purchased it,” Palomar College’s Director of Communications and Head of Marketing and Public Affairs, Laura Gropen said. The land had been surveyed by archeologists in 2004, however, the evidence of human remains
File photo /Telescope had been glanced over. Tribal Legal Counsel for the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, Merri Lopez-Keifer, said that the archeologists were more interested in the tools that were found on the site rather than the human remains. The remains had not been tested until 2012. The San Luis Rey Indians were determined to claim the title of “most likely descendants” of the remains found, but it was too late to do anything to save the site. As a part of the purchase
agreement, Palomar College was required to build the road that would lead to the future site of the satellite campus. The road will also lead to a housing development owned by Pardee homes. “This is not our road. We did not do the planning of this road, and the county would not agree to move the road,” Deegan said. Lopez-Keifer agreed that “Palomar got a bad deal.” Both the San Luis Rey band of Indians and the AIS department at Palomar College were disappointed with the
way that the situation was handled. Dixon explained that it was because there are experts at Palomar that could have minimized the damages. The Luiseno tribes were deeply hurt by the way the site and the artifacts were treated. But they realize it was not entirely Palomar College at fault. The San Luis Rey Indians filed a lawsuit and a restraining order to try to prevent any further development of the land. The restraining order was denied. “We had no say in what was happening to our history,” LopezKeifer said. “People don’t realize what sites like this mean to us. We don’t have a written record of our history. Ours is an oral history that has been almost wiped out. Sites like this are sacred to us because these are the people that allowed us to be here today.” “Instead of talking to the people, they took it straight to the lawyers,” Lopez-Keifer said. “It was like David and Goliath right from the start. We were up against these big corporations that were backing Pardee Homes.”
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4 • OPINION
Monday, March 18, 2013
financial aid EDITORIAL
the telescope
Focused On Palomar
Monday, March 18, 2013 Vol. 66, No. 13 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.
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OUR VIEWPOINT
Community college is a place for many kinds of people – those who are just starting out, others who plan on sticking around, those looking for a clean slate, and those who are trying to move on, to name a few. It’s this time of year when students start finding out about the next step of their fate -transfer students are receiving their admissions and rejections to the schools of their desire. Community colleges provide the opportunity for students to grow, learn and explore their options. It’s also a second chance for others who have not done well academically in the past and want to start over. The stories range from ordinary to inspirational. Every single student at Palomar has a story behind the reason they are here, all working towards their own goals, respectively. Every student has different motivations, personalities and drive. Students are truly individuals academically. And yet, despite all of these factors, transfer students are seen by one determinant: their GPA. Prospective transfer students are diminished to a number that is supposed to tell their life story: their struggles and mistakes, victories and successes. It’s impossible for that one little number to tell a potential future school anything beyond that grade point average. It does not display the extracurricular, the full- or part-time job while being a full- or part-time student, just trying to maintain it all. Admissions departments don’t get a sense of who that student really is, because they can’t get beyond the number. When for all they know, the student could add more to a student body at a university than some of the top prospective students. CSU schools have a minimum GPA of 2.0 for students with over 60 semester units. While this is not an unreasonable requirement, it can be challenging for students who made mistakes and have a hard time overcoming them. It may have taken time, but maybe you finally find your calling, dedicate yourself to your classes, and have your heart set on a Cal State school. Your GPA doesn’t reflect that new found enthusiasm for actually finding some kind of direction. Basically turn yourself around. You’d better get ready for the emotional roller coaster because that school will most likely look at your transcript and GPA and say “no thank you.” The overall determining process is completely impersonal. The only thing that matters to them about you is a number. If anyone doesn’t know, it’s incredibly hard to raise a GPA once it’s been lowered. Even if you start getting A’s and B’s, that only moves up your GPA minimally. So even if you are turning around and working hard, that work doesn’t pay off. We think CSUs should reevaluate the process of admissions and add other determining factors into the process. Take into account what goes on outside of a student’s school life, look for a “turning point.” There’s almost always a reason behind that number. It shouldn’t be so easy to judge and dismiss a student on the basis of GPA with a lot more potential than that number may display. After all, how can you know the whole story from just one number?
KAITY BERGQUIST editor in chief COLLEEN PETERS MANAGING EDITOR & COPY EDITOR APRIL TESTERMAN NEWS EDITOR MARISSA MILLOY OPINION EDITOR EMMA MALISZEWSKI LIFE EDITOR SYDNEY DAVISON assistant LIFE EDITOR SCOTT ROBERSON SPORTS EDITOR SCOTT MORTON ONLINE EDITOR MATTHEW SLAGLE MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ERIN HIRO ADVISER DEB HELLMAN BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF WRITERS Rose Miriam Babiarz, Lloyd Bravo, Carolyne Corelis, David krueger, Cliff Ireland, Gary Nelson, Heather Randall, zach phelps, Nada Sewidan, Christine Foronda, Nicole Gibbs, Jacqueline Haudek, Conner Jones, Daniel Swalm, Diana Valdez, Jordan Greene PHOTOGRAPHERS PETER ASHUE, Phyllis Celmer, Brian Korec, Andrea Gruber Matthies, Gary West Photo via Google Images
FAFSA doesn’t aid students efficiently
Sydney Davison
The Telescope
ADDRESS THE TELESCOPE PALOMAR COLLEGE 1140 W. MISSION ROAD, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 PHONE / 760-891-7865 NEWSROOM / MD-228 website/ www.the-telescope.com facebook/ search “the telescope” twitter/ @telescopenews EMAIL/ editor@THE-TELESCOPE.COM AD EMAIL/ ADS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
THE TELESCOPE WELCOMES ALL LETTERS TO THE Editor. Letters must be typewritten, under 300 words and include the author’s first and last names, major and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published. Letters should be emailed to editor@the-telescope.com. The Telescope reserves the right to edit letters for space and grammatical errors and not to print lewd or libelous letters. Letters must be received one week prior to the newspaper’s publication to be considered for inclusion. The Telescope is published 8 times per semester. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, Palomar faculty and staff members or the governing board trustees.
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california newspaper publisher’s association
dents who pay for their own school, but are still claimed as a dependent under their parents. These students would deserve some finanWhile the office of Federal Student Aid helps cial aid if they are struggling to pay for their more than 15 million college students receive a own school without any parental aid. better education by granting more than $150 bilThe process in which the funds are distriblion in grants, work-study programs and loans, uted also can be inconvenient for students who it isn’t necessarily as helpful as it should be. do receive federal funds for school, and can ultiAt the beginning of this month, most stu- mately not aid their education. dents were probably frantically collecting According to studentaid.ed.gov some first forms, documents and trying to decipher W-2 year students are required to wait for 30 days information to complete and file their FAFSA before their first disbursement. After the financial aid money has paid for tuition and housing applications on time. Some students will be delightfully surprised many students need to purchase books and materials, but a month into a when their Free Application semester, most students will for Student Aid, or FAFSA, have already taken a quiz is returned with a note that or midterm, which would a large amount is on its way be hard to do without the to their school to help with Each student has a proper materials. This way the increasing costs of college. Other students may different situation; each of distributing funds is not be discouraged to find that helpful to students and is an story is different and they didn’t qualify for any ineffective way of covering financial aid and ultimately FAFSA cannot effectively the costs of school. might not be able to afford Another way that finandetermine each student’s cial aid has begun to hurt to pursue their dreams. students is that it is driving Each student has a difneeds or situation. ferent situation; each story up the cost of tuition, which is different and FAFSA canis a result that will cost stunot effectively determine dents more in the long run. each student’s needs or situation. This results in In an article from CNN, Andrew Gillen’s students who deserve to go to school but can’t argument for The Bennett Hypothesis 2.0 is afford it to be overlooked. It is unfair to exclude quoted concluding that more upward pressure students who also cannot afford school because is put on tuition by the rising need of financial of the impersonal way of deciding who earns aid. The higher the tuition of college is raised, those funds the more there is a need for financial aid, According to an article in US News, financial and we as students find ourselves in a no-win aid is given to families with an annual income of situation. about $40,000. If a family makes more than the The more expensive it is for students to attend school’s cutoff, the student won’t receive money college will force fewer students to pursue an from the Federal Student Aid. It would make education. The fact that the amount of financial sense that the students in a lower income brack- aid distributed is forcing these costs to rise is not et would receive more money, but students who aiding students, but deterring some from getting come from middle- and upper-class families still an education. It isn’t helpful, and only hurtful. may not be able to afford to go to college. Students can attest to the fact that the price Just because mom and dad bring in a large of school is rising each year. Just in the last five paycheck doesn’t necessarily mean that they years the cost per unit at Palomar has more then have an endless amount of funds to send their doubled. In the 2008-2009 year it cost students children to college. A large indicator of the $20 per unit to take classes. In the 2012-2013 amount of funds awarded to a student is the es- year that cost rose to $46 per unit. timated family contribution, or EFC. By looking It cannot be disputed that the FAFSA helps over a parent’s yearly income and tax reports, students by providing money for college. But the FAFSA assumes the amount of money a fam- FAFSA and the way that it distributes its funds ily can contribute to send a child to college. to students is flawed. While it does aid some, This report can be flawed and not accurate it can deter other students who deserve that fifor some families. This number doesn’t take into nancial help just as much. It skips over students account that a family has more expenses like a who really need help when paying for college house and car payments, or more children to and in the end it is going to drive up the costs of send to college later. Most families cannot af- tuition, making it even harder to pay for college. ford to go into debt trying to send their child to school. It also doesn’t take into account stu- SDavison@the-telescope.com
the telescope
Air travel
OPINION • 5
TSA regulations are excessive
JORDAN GREENE
The Telescope
The Transportation Security Administration is known for its unconventional ways to ensure public safety when it comes to air travel. However, some of these safety measures have been more invasive and unnecessary than precautionary. A few years ago, I went on an airplane to San Francisco for a doctor’s appointment. After taking my shoes off to walk through the metal detector, the man standing on the other side asked me to take off my sweatshirt before walking through. I explained to him that I did not have anything underneath my sweatshirt, and I would not take it off. He instructed me to walk through the detector, which did not go off, and step into a clear glass booth for a pat down. I stepped inside the booth, and a woman came in and told me to lift up my sweatshirt to make sure I wasn’t hiding anything. I told her I had nothing underneath, and she told me I could not go to my terminal without proving it to them. I had to lift up my shirt while the rest of my body received a thorough pat down from the TSA screener. Surprisingly enough, I wasn’t hiding anything. I felt completely violated when I stepped out of that booth. There are thousands of other stories like mine, many much worse. In an article posted by Infowars.com in November 2012, a 58-year-old
Illustration by Don Wright/MCTCampus
woman described being sexually assaulted below the belt by three different TSA screeners, who claimed there was something abnormal in her crotch after she set off the metal detector with her knee implant. More than half of America’s airports have full body or backscatter X-ray scanners. These scanners are extremely invasive because they produce nude images of each passenger as they passed through it. The purpose of these scanners is to make sure nobody is carrying something on the plane they should not have. However, these scanners have a false alarm fre-
quency of five percent, according to Policymic.com, and may result in a pat down anyway. Luckily, Congress ruled that backscatter scanners be removed from all airports by June 2013. Similar scanners, made by L-3 Communications Holding, Inc., produced cartoon-like nude images of passengers, which were just as intrusive, and had a 25 to 53 percent frequency of false alarms, according to Policymic.com. This range is too high, and airports should not be allowed to use anything that lets officials see nude images of any of their paying pas-
sengers in the first place. This extremity of invasive searching is not necessary to ensure flight safety. TSA regulations do not allow much more than bare essentials on a plane with other passengers as it is, and use of metal detectors and bag scanners should be enough to determine a threat from a normal citizen trying to travel. Very recently, the TSA lifted its previous ban on small knives, six centimeters and smaller, as well as clubs and bats. This lift brings us one step closer to more lenient regulations, but is probably not the first
step they should have taken dealing with loosening their reins. Full-sized shampoo bottles and hand sanitizer are still not permitted on planes. Officials make passengers throw away unopened water bottles for fear of bombs, but will allow anyone and everyone to carry a small knife that could easily kill someone in plain sight. People do not need knives on an airplane, but they do need to drink water and to use hand sanitizer to keep from getting and spreading germs. The length of these extremely thorough searches makes going to an airport a hassle. Passengers need to arrive at least an hour before their flight to ensure time to make it through all the security measures. The time it takes to take off and put on shoes, added to the time it takes to empty your belongings into plastic tubs to be scanned and then throw it all back in your bag to make it to the gate on time is horrendous. TSA regulations are put in place for public security, but it does not need to be excessive to the extent of making passengers feel uncomfortable instead of making them feel safe. I’m not saying all regulations should be omitted , I’m simply stating it is not necessary for people to have their privacy breached for wearing baggy clothes to the airport.
jgreene@the-telescope.com
travel safety
Spring Break abroad is fun, but unsafe
Heather Randall
The Telescope
College students on Spring break crowd beach Al Diaz/Miami Herald/MCT
Spring Break is definitely a great opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself for the week, but it is not an excuse to entirely dismiss personal safety and responsibility in the name of entertainment. Lots of students have this idea in their head that Mexico is a great place to go for Spring Break. What they don’t realize is that it’s actually very dangerous, and not worth the risks. College students see Mexico as a destination that is close, cheap and a place to drink underage. While all of that sounds like paradise, there’s also the reality of danger and consequences that exist to all tourists who visit Mexico, especially in the border cities of Tijuana, Rosarito and other popular border locations. In November of 2012, the Bureau of Consular Affairs issued a travel warning to inform American tourists of the risks involved in traveling to Mexico. While the article does state that millions of tourists travel to Mexico safely each year, it also warns of the dangers caused by Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO’s). TCO’s attempt to control drug trafficking routes that are generally close to the border so that they can most efficiently smuggle drugs or carry out other illegal activities in Mexico. Because of TCO’s, tourists anywhere within Mexico are potentially at risk of becoming victims of violence and crime. Ladies, you are especially vulnerable. Do not travel alone in Mexico. It is extremely dangerous, especially at night while out drinking and not paying attention to your surroundings.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs reports that TCO’s have been known for carjacking, homicide, gun battles and robbery. Border cities are especially vulnerable for this type of activity, so if you feel that you must go to Mexico, buy a plane ticket and fly into Puerto Vallarta or Cancun. Stay at a nice resort, and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Never entirely throw caution to the wind. If you’re not comfortable with that, don’t go to Mexico. Also, it is not uncommon for tourists who travel by car to be pulled over for no apparent reason. The fact that there is a group of American tourists in a car, who Mexican police suspect have wallets full of American currency, makes them an automatic target. While a Mexican policeman likely won’t cause you any physical harm, they could come up with a lessthan-valid reason as to why you have broken the law, ordering you to pay a fine according to their discretion. This is not something you can argue your way out of either, so don’t bother. Sometimes the officer will make you pay on the spot, other times you may have to make the trek into the Tijuana Police Station and deal with whatever your fine is there. That experience likely won’t be physically threatening, but who wants to spend time in a police station and pay a fine for no reason? Traveling abroad for Spring Break should be a last resort. Start planning with your friends early, and you’ll be in a much better position to really enjoy your week off and spend it enjoying yourself instead of setting yourself up for trouble.
Hrandall@the-telescope.com
6 • LIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY
Monday, March 18, 2013
Professor’s photos featured in Natural History Museum
Carolyne Corelis & Emma Maliszewski
The Telescope
Palomar College photography professor Will Gibson has photographic prints featured in an exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum until the end of April. The exhibition, called “On the Trail of Ansel Adams,” is focused on black-and-white nature photography inspired by the iconic photographer. Gibson’s photographs are curated next to other notable landscape and nature photographers such as Charles Cramer, William Neil and Louis Montrose. “I think Will’s work is among the top work displayed in a show that includes several well-known photographers,” fellow photography faculty member Donna Cosentino said. The show is inspired by Adams, a landscape photographer from the 18th century who was a pioneer environmentalist and famous for his black-and-white photographs of nature in Yosemite National Park and of the American West. Gibson’s prints in the exhibit are of a Ponderosa Pine that Gibson calls “Survivor.” Gibson said that the tree had been hit by lightning and was still surviving at an altitude of 10,000 feet. Gibson found the tree while he was hiking in Colorado with a friend and photographed the surrounding trees
Palomar photography professor Will Gibson in the Photography department gallery. • Carolyne Corelis/Telescope
for over an hour. “Will is a multi-talented and hard-working teacher and photographer…always playing with new ideas and always has fun doing it,” Cosentino said. The photographs are printed on platinum palladium-treated paper, a process that Gibson chose in order to distinguish his work from the other photographers participating in the show and to stretch his limits as a photographer. Additionally, Gibson used a technique called focus stacking. Focus stacking combines several different photographs of the same subject to achieve full focus throughout the image then stitched together in a program to
create a complete photograph. “He is using an antique process using Platinum and Palladium metals suspended in liquid and applied to paper to create a photographic emulsion. The negative must be the same size as the desired print,” Cosentino said. Gibson said he uses that technique to achieve an extremely sharp focus throughout the photograph. Using focus stacking allowed the large, 12-inch by 16-inch printed photographs to be completely in focus. “This is a process that would have been used in the 1800’s, but is enjoying a huge revival. We currently teach it here in our Photography department. He is using a
Will Gibson’s platinum palladium-treated image called “Vincent Munch” is at the San Diego Natural History Museum exhibit. • Copyright Will Gibson
mix of historical and contemporary methods. Instead of a glass plate negative or a silver negative made in a large format camera, a digital negative has been made,” Cosentino said. The size of the prints was another experiment for Gibson, as the prints were twice the size of anything that he has printed before. Printing photographs on platinum palladium is an extremely hands-on and expensive process. “Commercially available platinum papers ceased production in 1930, so a photographer has to coat the paper by hand,” Gibson said. For each print, Gibson manually mixed the palladium and
platinum chemistry together then physically coated each paper with the mixture. The end result was a lightly sepia-toned photograph that has a wide tonal depth and a long shelf life. Platinum palladium printing can resist, ruin or damage the print. Gibson said the entire process of printing with platinum palladium was “extremely satisfying” and he plans to do more work with that medium in the future. Gibson’s photographs are on display until April 29.
ccorelis@the-telescope.com emaliszewski@the-telescope.com
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the telescope
GRADUATION
LIFE • 7
Staff prepares for commencement ceremony
sydney davison
the telescope
As students recover from midterms and anxiously await the mid-semester mark of Spring Break, Palomar faculty begins to plan for the end. Faculty and staff of Palomar had their first meeting in January to begin planning the end-of-theyear Commencement Ceremony for graduates of Palomar who have received their associates degrees and certificates of completion. A lot of work goes into the ceremony, evident by the amount of checklists Student Affairs Director Sherry Titus and Communications Director Laura Gropen came armed with. “A lot of work goes into it,” Gropen said. Yet, “it is literally only a half an hour long.” But for such a modest ceremony, the faculty does a lot of planning and work to make sure that the students of Palomar and their families have a wonderful memory to share. “Tons of players and people have responsibilities that we rely on them. They know that it is the premiere event and they are excited to help,” said Titus, the head planner of the event. The “players,” as Titus calls them, are all members of the departments, faculty and students that help make this event
Palomar students participate in commencement ceremony on May 18, 2012 on the football field at the San Marcos campus. • Deb Hellman/ Telescope
a memorable one. “It is an all campus event,” Gropen said, “Everybody is involved.” Almost everyone at Palomar has a hand in making this a special day for students. From the Student Affairs, Facilities and Records offices to the groundskeepers and Campus Police, each one has a certain role in this memorable day. “It is such a combined effort,” Titus said, “We used our own services as best we can.” The Music Department is also
involved with a student singer who will be performing the national anthem. The Disability Resource Center also provides two interpreters to accommodate deaf students and their families. Campus Police will direct traffic for the ceremony, as well as the color guard who will present the flags at the beginning of the commencement. The Graphic Communications department produces the pro-
grams, which need to be signed off by 3 to 4 different faculty members before printed. The bookstore has also had a large part in the student’s big day, they provided the caps and gowns for the students to purchase right up to the day of the ceremony. That is how the faculty knows how many students to plan for, because they don’t have any formal way of having students notify that they plan to walk. “That’s the hardest part,” Ti-
tus said. “We don’t have an RSVP because we want every student to feel welcome.” Last year at the 2011- 2012 ceremony about 3,000 students were eligible to walk, but only about 10 percent of those students participated in the ceremony. “We would like to encourage students to attend, to be a part of it, and enjoy the moment, it is all done for them,” Titus said.
sdavison@the-telescope.com
review
New SimCity video game is unplayable in its opening week
Matthew Slagle
The Telescope
SimCity 5 was poised to be the big PC video game release of the start of this year; the hype was immense and the reviews were glowing, touting it as the next great simulator game. Then the game was released. It was deemed a massive failure almost immediately. In the case of the SimCity, it wasn’t a matter of the developers missing the mark on a few aspects of the game—which they did, but those were overshadowed by the overarching problem of not being able to play the game—it was a colossal failure in the sense that on release date, very few people could actually play it. When they could manage to connect to a server, game play was far from what was advertised. When people cannot download the game, let alone login to the servers—something that is mandatory to play the game—you have a problem. Because of the issues with the servers, many people deadpanned the game. Reviews that were once glowing were changed to indicate that until one could play the game the way it was intended, anything less than a mediocre grade would be inaccurate.
Screenshot of EA Games’ recent SimCity release. • Matthew Slagle/Telescope
To combat piracy, publishers EA and Maxis, decided that to be able to play “persistent Internet connection [was] required.” Known as Digital Rights Management or DRM, video game companies have started creating measures that make it harder, perhaps impossible, for a gamer to pirate the game—which is the motive behind making it mandatory to connect to the Internet—or sell the game second hand.
DRM has been a major point of discussion in the gaming world, and the fiasco did nothing to quell the concerns of the consumers. I was a lucky one. Once I installed my copy of the game, I was able to immediately play the game without having to wait for hours to be able to connect to a server. This was the case the next day and I was ready to give them a pass on the sever issue. But then the next three times I
tried to play, I was unable to connect to the servers or was booted from the game after a few minutes of playing. EA had announced that, in order to hopefully reduce the stress on their servers, they were going to roll back some of the features in the game. With that knowledge, it is hard to grade the game without knowing how exactly the developers intended the game to be played. With that being said, I can-
not give the game more than an incomplete grade, as it would be unfair to give it a failing grade knowing that I haven’t played the complete game. The game play was great and the controls and functions were easy enough to figure out, however, the graphics looked like they were out of a game from the start of the 2000’s. One can hope that the massive failure in being able to deliver a product to the market that relies exclusively on servers to make the game functional will at least delay future games being moved to the online only model. On Saturday, March 8 EA announced it had increased its server capacity 120 percent and the number of people who experienced disrupted services was down by 80 percent. The company also went on to say that anyone who bought the game before March 18 will receive a free EA game. Not the best way to herald in what was going to be your marquee game of the year, but if they get the issues resolved quickly and the game ends up playing like the original reviews said it would, the great game play would make up for the disaster that was the opening week.
mslagle@the-telescope.com
8 • LIFE
Vacation
Monday, March 18, 2013
Students look forward to spring break
Nada Sewidan
The Telescope
From relaxing in the comfort of home to laying on sandy beaches under the bright sun to adventures abroad, Palomar students reveal their plans for the upcoming spring break. As spring break approaches, some Palomar students are still undecided on what activities they will partake in. However, many students agree that hanging out with friends is a must and spontaneity will just have to lead the way, while others have planned ahead and are eager to get their spring break started. Going to Las Vegas, enjoying a bit of that Nevada sunshine and exploring the Vegas nightlife seems to be a common theme among several students. “It’s me and my friend’s first time going to Vegas when we’re 21, so I’m really excited,” Palomar student Alyssa Haase said. Palomar student, Taylor Hinkle is planning for Las Vegas as well. She is going with her family and is hoping to see the sights and maybe try her luck at gambling. While student Carolina Soto said she’s visiting some friends in Vegas and partaking in “legal” activities. While several students are planning trips to places within the United States, others are even planning to travel abroad. Jonem Bulan said he is traveling to Kansas for the first time to see his girlfriend. Student Alexa Arenz is planning a trip to Los Angeles to visit her boyfriend as
Las Vegas, Nevada, shown in this 2004 photograph, attracts millions of visitors every year to casinos and entertainment venues. • Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/MCT
well and hopefully check out the sights. While another student, Luke Evans, has planned a trip to San Francisco. As for travel plans abroad, Palomar students Lilyan Ching and Blair VanWagoner are planning to take a trip to Shanghai and Beijing, China to film a documentary. “I’m really excited and anxious about this trip,” Ching said. VanWagnor said this will be a completely new experience for her and even though she is stressed about
getting ready for the project, she is even more excited. However, as students continue to struggle financially with college, some have decided to opt out of any extravagant spring break plans hoping to save a little bit of money. “Gas isn’t cheap,” David Tayag said. “I've got to save up money,” Palomar student Josh Baker said. “I have a lot of bills to pay.” Among other spring break activities, students are opting for going to the beach, visiting family members,
going to parties and sleeping in. “For spring break I’m going to go enjoy San Diego; go to the beach down to Mission Bay, rent out a boat and go sailing,” Palomar student Zell Bautista said. Although no concrete plans are set, Palomar student Emily Torromel hopes to spend time with her friends, possibly going to concerts and checking out local bands. While Laura Dominguez, is ready to re-discover her inner
child at Disneyland. Palomar student Danny Iverson is planning on going backpacking, but is not quite sure where. “I’m getting in my car and where I stop is where I start,” Iverson said. Other students are planning on a simple spring break where they can sleep in, catch up on some homework and continue working their regular jobs.
nsewidan@the-telescope.com
Women’s History Month
Palomar hosts women’s empowerment event
Nicole Gibbs
The Telescope
Palomar Women’s Studies faculty hosted a two-part event in honor of Women’s History Month. Sociology Professor Susan Miller, psychology Professor Judy Wilson and history Professor Wendy Kinsinger held viewings of segments of a documentary called “Half the Sky.” “Half the Sky” started as a book and then was made into a movie, which eventually became a movement. Its motto is “turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide.” The first event, held on March 5, was focused on economic empowerment. A speaker from the non-profit organization KIVA came to speak to students, staff and Palomar’s community about micro-loans. Micro-loans are mini loans that help people around the world to start or build a business that will help them move out of poverty. KIVA helps to find lenders and pair them up with those in need. Poverty, another topic of discussion, is an issue that is felt by women worldwide. Women are
half of the world’s population, but they make up over two-thirds of the world’s poor. KIVA is one of many groups that is looking for ways to help empower women to move out of poverty. The second event was held on Thursday, March 7. The topic was human trafficking, and the room was packed. “This topic was much heavier,” Miller said after the event. “But it is so important for us to address these issues. People don’t want to talk about it because it is sad or because they don’t know what to do, but these conversations are so important.” During the March 7 event, attendees viewed the segment of “Half the Sky” that documented the work of Somaly Mam, a Cambodian woman who escaped from a brothel. Mam went on to found “Voices of Change,” a group that rescues girls from brothels and sexual slavery. The video showed some of the horrors that girls around the world are facing; children as young as two and three years old are sold into sexual slavery. Even those that are able to escape are not welcomed back into their
families or communities, they are labeled as prostitutes (or worse) and condemned to a life of being an outcast. “This is the new slavery,” Miller said. “This is the slavery that your generation has to face and stand up to. It stems from a society that devalues women.” A tearful father spoke from the back of the room, “It shows how sick we have become… when sexual pleasure means more than a child’s innocence.” “I watch this film and every time I think of my six- and eightyear-old granddaughters and the world they are growing up in,” said another audience member. Sexual slavery is an issue that overwhelmingly affects women and girls. An estimated 95 percent of sex slaves worldwide, are female. After some discussion, Holly Hepburn, from the San Diego non-profit company Generate Hope, spoke about how human trafficking affects us in the United States, and specifically in San Diego County. “90 percent of the survivors at Generate Hope are from the US. These aren’t women and girls
that are being brought here from other countries, these are our own women and children that are being trafficked in our own country,” Hepburn said. Hepburn said the term “trafficking” is misleading. It implies that the victim is moved; it makes us think of those who are kidnapped and taken across international borders. While this type of trafficking is a real problem, we tend to overlook the other implications of the term “trafficking.” “Trafficking is defined as any force, fraud or coercion of a human being for the purposes of making money,” Hepburn said. Often, it is more of a mental and emotional type of bondage that holds the victim captive rather than physical chains. “We are seeing a lot of gang activity around trafficking,” Hepburn said. “We are even seeing rival gangs working together to sell girls.” There are a number of issues that work to create a society where trafficking is a profitable business. The biggest problems that perpetuate trafficking, both in the US and throughout the world, are
the low value of women and girls, poverty and naivety. “Many times, girls are sold into slavery by parents who don’t even realize what they are doing. They think they are sending their daughter away to work,” Hepburn said. The discussion turned led to possible solutions. “Do anything you can,” she said. “One of the biggest things we can do is talk about it. The more awareness we can bring to this problem, the better our chances of fighting it.” There are a few organizations in San Diego that deal specifically with human trafficking, and they always need volunteers. North County Lifeline, Hope House and Generate Hope are local organizations that deal specifically with victims of trafficking. Anyone interested is encouraged to get in touch with them. “Both of these events were very successful,” Miller said. “We got a great turnout for both, and even though the second one didn’t have the uplifting feel that we had on Tuesday, it was maybe even more important in terms of the oppression women face.”
ngibbs@the-telescope.com
the telescope
california watch
NEWS • 9
What would happen if community college districts consolidated?
erica perez
california watch
The state’s 72 community college districts spend tens of millions of dollars on administrative positions that could be consolidated or shared by districts a short drive away, a California Watch analysis has found. In the wake of huge budget shortfalls, California’s vast community college system has reduced its core academic functions – slashing millions of dollars by eliminating nearly a quarter of class sections, cutting services and laying off employees. At the start of the fall 2012 semester, more than 470,000 students had been waitlisted for classes at community colleges statewide. But millions of dollars still are spent on duplicative administrative costs. More than half of the state’s community college districts are within 20 miles of another district. And the vast majority of those districts have a single college. If these districts shared administrators, they potentially could shave millions off their expenses. But for many of the community college districts, the potential savings may never be realized because the system of local districts is so deeply entrenched. In fact, obscure statutes in the California Education Code make it all but impossible to save money through merging districts – at least in the short run. Students have borne the brunt of cuts to the system. They have been slapped with fees that have risen 130 percent in the past five years and have been unable to get into the classes they need. But the
status quo has been protected. The state’s community college system isn’t the only place in California’s $92 billion budget where excess can be found. California Watch chose to zero in on the college system because of its sheer size and because it touches so many lives. Some 2.4 million students attend community college classes. California Watch reporters examined parts of the state community college system’s bureaucracy to identify spending patterns and understand why reforms may prove elusive. The 72 districts keep payroll and other data in different formats, which makes comparison difficult. So California Watch drilled down on 16 districts, taking into consideration the availability of detailed payroll data, geographic proximity and district size. The group of 16 districts had duplicative executives or managers in 21 positions, not including chancellors and presidents. A total of 253 individuals cost the districts $30 million in salaries and at least $7.9 million in benefits in 2011. A broader analysis of the system revealed: • The state Education Code prevents districts from laying off any administrators for the first two years after merging, making it more difficult for districts to save money by consolidating. • The public appears open to change. California Watch commissioned a Field Poll that found an overwhelming majority favors consolidating community college
administrative functions to save money. • As the ranks of elected community college trustees have swollen, their power and profile have diminished. The state pays for 442 community college district trustees, including an average annual cost of $5 million for elections. But the authority of these elected board members weakened significantly 35 years ago when voters approved Proposition 13, which transferred control over revenues from the boards of trustees to the state. • The Field Poll conducted in the fall for California Watch found that the majority of respondents had little or no knowledge about district board elections. The full story is available online, but we’ve taken a step back and tried to answer a few questions that address some basic findings and what this means for students. How much does the California community college system spend on administration? Unlike the University of California and California State University systems, the state’s community colleges are governed by local boards of trustees. Each board oversees a district that includes one or more colleges. Statewide, there are 72 districts overseeing 112 colleges. Of those districts, 49 oversee a single college, and 40 are within 20 miles of another district office. In 2010, the community colleges reported spending at least $1.7 billion on top-level administration, including pay for district
executives and the cost of 72 separate governing boards at each district. That’s 17 cents of every dollar spent. How much of that spending could be cut if some of the districts merged, and what might the impact be? It’s hard to say exactly how much money could be saved because it would depend on which districts decided to consolidate and which positions they determined could be eliminated. But here’s one example of possible savings: The Riverside, Mt. San Jacinto and Desert community college districts, all in Riverside County, together operate five colleges with three chancellor’s offices, three human resources departments, three finance offices, three facilities departments and three academic affairs offices, not to mention three boards of trustees. The cost of employing the 15 executives who lead these departments, plus one or two support staff for each, totals nearly $6 million. The cost of running the three boards, including elections, legal support, stipends, benefits, support staff and travel expenses, equals nearly $1.7 million, records show. The three districts employed more than 130 executives in total in 2010. If the three districts could consolidate and have one chancellor, one board and one head of each big administrative office, the savings would total $4.9 million. In terms of impact, that money could, for example, pay for 960 additional class sections, assuming the classes were taught by adjunct faculty members.
What are the some of the pros and cons of consolidating districts? The benefits of consolidating districts include the potential to save millions of dollars that could be redirected to the classroom. Critics of the idea, such as Rancho Santiago Community College District spokeswoman Judy Iannaccone, argue that in order for colleges to understand and respond to the needs of the local community, it’s necessary to have a local board of trustees. For example, if a district went from representing three or four cities to representing an entire county, the governing board might not be as able or willing to respond to local community needs. On the other hand, Assemblyman Das Williams, D-Santa Barbara, chairman of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, said even large districts with varied demographics and distinctly different communities, such as the Ventura County Community College District, maintain local decision-making. In addition, some question whether large, consolidated districts could really operate with one chief human resources officer or one public relations chief – the idea being that merging districts would make these jobs more complicated and might not lead to as much savings as some might expect. This story was produced by California Watch, a part of the Center for Investigative Reporting. More at californiawatch.org. Contact the reporter at eperez@cironline.org.
budget
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AIS
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Most of the money spent from Fund 71 in the 2012-2013 fiscal year has been used toward voter registration events that the ASG put on to get students to vote during the presidential election. The ASG budgets how to spend the $30,000 from the district. The proposed budget is about $33,000, which means there is a $3,000 deficit, according to Thorp and the 2013-2014 proposed budget. Last year, ASG officers approved a budget of more than $2,500 over the allotted $30,000. The ASG officials is using its savings to cover the discrepancy. “We don’t have a (spending) deficit as an ASG. In fact, we have an enormous surplus... We’re better than we’ve ever been, budget wise,” Thorp said. To clarify, Thorp said the reason that they consider the $3,000 a deficit is because they don’t take into account the rollover fund, which was a total of about $69,000 from last year.
For the upcoming 2013-2014 fiscal year, the proposed budget started with a $10,000 deficit, which the ASG discussed and cut down to the now $3,000 deficit. They also discussed that just because they have a deficit, it doesn’t mean they will necessarily reach it. ASG President Johnathan Farmer said he was very proud of how the ASG cut the proposed budget down from $10,000. Another pot of ASG money is Fund 72. It is the money acquired through the $1 student representative fee, which can be waived by any student who enrolls at Palomar. The funds generated go toward anything regarding student advocacy. Fund 72 started with about $196,000 last July and the ASG has spent 6 percent of that, totaling approximately $12,500 as of press time. For example, every year, the ASG goes to Washington D.C. to advocate for student rights. This trip will be paid for with money from Fund 72. According
to Farmer, ASG officials will spend more of Fund 72 money for the trip to Washington D.C. this semester. The third fund is Fund 73. Fund 73 is a dollar amount from every unit in which students enroll, with a maximum of $10 per student per academic year. These acquired funds are used solely on the Student Union. This includes repairs, amenities and the loan that was taken out to construct the Student Union. Last year, the ASG spent about 82 percent of Fund 73 equaling about $520,000. This year, the ASG collected about $227,000 from this fee, with a total of about $330,000 in Fund 73. Up to this point in the academic year, the ASG has spent $79,000 or 24 percent of the budget. According the Thorp, this is the only real tax the ASG has on the students. These numbers can be found on campus through Fiscal Services. For more information call (760) 744-1150 ext. 2215.
ATESTERMAN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
“It makes the college look bad,” Dixon said. “The tribal community felt betrayed by us. The tribes wanted the AIS department to challenge the college, but we can’t take a position. “As educators, we did what we could, we hosted a TomKav teach-in.” The teach-in was held last spring at Palomar College, followed by a second teach-in at CSU San Marcos in the fall. The purpose of these events was to educate people on the sacred sites and the history of the American Indian people. The lawsuit reached a settlement on Feb. 18, 2013. As part of the settlement, Palomar is required to work with the San Luis Rey Indians to develop a plan for the treatment of the site. So far they have agreed to have American Indian monitors present during the grading phase of the construction. There was also an
agreement that sensitivity training will be required for all employees working on the grade. The treatment proposal is still in the negotiation phase and the satellite campus will not be finished until 2016. “We are sorry there was this bump in our relationship,” Deegan said. “Hopefully we will continue to work together.” Dixon said that in order to start to repair the relationship, the college will need to practice transparency in everything it does with this site going forward. “We are currently conducting a survey that will help us guide the direction of our courses. We are excited to add to our faculty this year and we are looking forward to some fun events that will help us to move forward,” Dixon said.
ngibbs@the-telescope.com
10 • NEWS
SPRINTER
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Monday, March 18, 2013
transfer
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“I’m waking up earlier and I get to places later,” he added. “I actually had to quit my job because the Sprinter was how I got there, so I can’t get down there anymore.” The cashier’s office sells bus passes at a discounted rate of $47 per month. Normally the pass is $59 per month. The passes, however, are only sold between the 25th and the 10th of the month. School and NCTD officials were unaware if this policy would be changing due to the shutdown. As of March 11, Palomar officials said they had yet to see an upswing in parking permit purchases. However, some students thought there were more cars in the parking lots and the freeways. Student John Gomez, 22, said he was frustrated with the increased traffic in the parking lot, but was unaware of the Sprinter interruption until he had already parked. NCTD implemented two tempo-
rary bus schedules in place of the Sprinter while trains are down. Bus routes 618 Sprinter Express and 620 Sprinter Express run from Escondido to Oceanside daily. The new schedules and a list of stops can be found at www.gonctd.com. On Monday through Friday, the 618 will run hourly from 4:35 a.m. until 10:18 p.m. The eastbound 620 will run every half hour from 4:10 a.m. until 9:40 p.m. Westbound it will run every half hour from 4:15 until 9:45. Both the eastbound and westbound 620 will run every 15 minutes during the morning and afternoon commute periods. According to the NCTD Facebook page, some of the buses on the 620 routes cannot carry bicycles because charter buses service this route. Those passengers are advised to take the 305 or 318 buses. Staff writers Jordan Greene, Sydney Davison, Lloyd Bravo, Gary Nelson and Nada Sweidan contributed to this report.
Transfer Center Director, Elvia Nunez-Riebel, says she has seen a trend in students wanting to transfer to out-of-state schools because of cost. “With prices, tuition rates going up, I see more students interested in looking outside, because some out of state schools are about the same in terms of tuition (costs) or less.” She views the new program as a helpful way for students to transfer to ASU. “I think anything that helps students with their goals for transfer is great. There are students that are interested in transferring to ASU and for those interested, it’s a smoother transition,” Nunez said. Students who enroll in the program will receive guidance from ASU on which courses to take while attending Palomar. “We have multiple support services designed to ensure student persistence and progress to-
ward the ultimate goal of graduation. First, once a student signs up for the Guaranteed Program for Admission to ASU, a transfer specialist will be in touch to welcome them as a future Sun Devil, and to help them in planning the appropriate coursework to take while they attend their community college,” he said. Students will also be able to transfer with a set major of their choosing, so long as they meet the academic and curriculum requirements. According to Knocke, “After a student signs up for the program, they will consult with an ASU transfer specialist, and then receive a letter outlining the terms of guaranteed admission into their chosen major.” Participating students receive priority consideration for ASU’s New American University Scholarship. This scholarship is a merit-based scholarship with benefits such as dinner with the dean, access to exclusive athletic
events and more. Students will have the option of completing their degree at the ASU campus or through the university’s online school which has seen a 108 percent increase in California student enrollment from Spring 2012 to Spring 2013. The Guaranteed Program for Admission is available now for students at select community colleges. “We sought out community college partners where we know students were well prepared for success at ASU. We have consistently had a strong relationship with Palomar College and the students transferring from Palomar to ASU. It was a natural fit,” Knocke said. Only 19 California community colleges are offered this program. For more information log on to https://transfer.asu.edu/guarantee or contact the Palomar Transfer Center at (760) 744-1150, ext. 2552
MMILLOY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
the telescope
women’s basketball
SPORTS • 11
Season ends two wins shy of final four
Cliff ireland
the telescope
The women’s basketball team had a remarkable season that came to an end after reaching the third round of the Southern California Regional Tournament for the first time in school history. The 16th ranked Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) Champions started March Madness by defeating No.18 Saddleback 89 - 73 in the first round. Although the score doesn’t reflect it, Coach Leigh Marshall said it really wasn’t that easy. “We were down 16 at beginning of the second half, then by 15, and then we just chipped away and chipped away and then turned it around so that we ended up winning by 16,” Marshall said. However, the highlight of the tournament for the Comets came in the second round when they defeated No. 2 Ventura College,
59 - 58, handing the team its first home playoff loss since 2006. Going back and forth with the lead, the Comets were able to score the go-ahead basket with just over two minutes to go. Then the defense stepped it up by not allowing the Pirates any field goals in the final two minutes. Bianca Littleton was able to sink two free throws in the last minute and a half that would end up securing the victory. Unfortunately for the Comets, the success of reaching the third round for the first time was short lived as the team loss to Moorpark College 68-60. Marshall pointed out that even though they lost, she is not disappointed in losing, but the way they lost. The possibility of slowly running out of gas during the playoff schedule and the emotional high of the previous game could have contributed to the loss, she said.
Marshall added that there are a lot of people who tell her that the season was a success, but she’s still not satisfied. “Everyone was excited, and we are excited, too, but it’s just a loss is always hard.” Coach Leigh Marshall said. The team was able to turn themselves around from the previous two seasons when it only won a combined six games. This year, the team finished the regular season at 1610 and won the Conference Championship for only the sixth time. According to Marshall, even though the season may be over, there doesn’t seem to be any time to sit back and let it all sink in. The recruitment of new players to replace the seven sophomores leaving has already started, and on April 1, returning members will start bouncing the ball back in the gym again.
cireland@the-telescope.com
Palomar basketball player Melanie Lombardi (23) makes a jump shot against a Saddleback defender during the game on Feb. 27 at the Dome. • Brian Korec/Telescope
men’s basketball
hall of fame
Palomar alumni inducted into Hall of Fame
scott roberson
the telescope
Palomar guard Aaron Roedl (24) lays up for two points after receiving a court length pass from Joe Vaz (50) on Feb. 13 in The Dome. • Peter Ahsue/Telescope
Men ousted from tournament play
Colleen peters
the telescope
After finishing the season tied for first place in conference, the Palomar men’s basketball team lost in the second round of the regional playoffs. The Comets (21-10, 10-2) beat Cuyamaca College on Feb. 20 to ensure a tie for first in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC). After beating Los Angeles Pierce College 73-55 on March 1, the men were set to take on Chaffey College in Rancho
Cucamonga. However, Palomar was unable to clinch a second playoff win on March 6, and the team fell 82-67 in the third round of playoffs. Palomar was given a bye for round one. The loss brings an end to the season, and left the team just two wins short of joining the California Community College Athletic Association’s (CCCAA) final four, which was the team’s goal for the season.
cpeters@the-telescope
Two former Palomar coaches and one player were honored at recent hall of fame ceremony. The California Community College Football Coaches Association hosted a hall of fame ceremony March 16, 2013 in Visalia, Calif., inducting three former Comets: Thom Kaumeyer, Tony Lynds and Jerry Garrett. Kaumeyer was an All-American safety for the Comets in 1986. After transferring to the University of Oregon, Kaumeyer went on to be drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. He served as the assistant coach and defensive coordinator before spending one season as the head coach of Palomar’s football team. In addition, Kaumeyer has coached both in the NFL and on the collegiate level where he is currently the University of Hawaii’s defensive coordinator. Lynds served many stints as assistant coach for the Comets’ football team spanning four decades, including the national championship winning teams of 1991 and 1993. Garrett, a former All-American Palomar wide receiver, led the Comets to the 1991 national championship title. He holds many records at Palomar that still stand today including: season receptions (95), season reception yards (1,507), season touchdowns (18), and career all-purpose yards (2,145). Garrett transferred to the Uni-
Wide reciever Jerry Garrett (8) as a member of the Palomar football team in 1991. • Courtesy Palomar College
versity of Houston and played professionally for the British Colombia Lions of the Canadian Football League, but his career was cut short due to injuries. He is currently the assistant football coach for Carlsbad High School. Kaumeyer was among the inaugural class of inductees into the Palomar College Hall of Fame. Kaumeyer, Lynds and Meyer will be joining Tom Dempsey and Tom Luginbill as representatives of Palomar College in the State Hall of Fame.
sroberson@the-telescope.com @scottroberson55
Tony Lynds • Courtesy Palomar College
12 • SPORTS
track and field
Monday, March 18, 2013
Palomar track athletes Alexis Smith, Sydney Ellis, Tori Dorsey and Aleiha Nelson compete against nine colleges in the 1,500 meter run March 9 during the San Diego Collegiate Challenge at UC San Diego. • Peter Ahsue/Telescope
Comets’ depth proves to be beneficial
Scott roberson
the telescope
Palomar track and field season is well underway, and the Comets have experienced a successful season thus far. The Comets competed at the San Diego Challenge Track and Field meet March 9 at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). They competed against both four-year universities and California community colleges finishing sixth among nine teams, but second among the community colleges. Head Coach Jennifer Williams is very pleased with the way her team has performed this year, but she is ecstatic with the depth of her team that she has not experience in prior years. “We have jumpers, sprinters, throwers, hurdlers and distance runners that we haven’t always had,” Coach Williams said. “It’s really nice to have depth.” Having depth creates competition, and, in turn, pushes the athletes to improve. Sophomore thrower Soliaana Faapouli has prospered amongst the elevated competition. Faapouli finished with a second place throw in the
hammer toss against four-year college competition and has posted a throw that could qualify her for state. In addition, Faapouli was able to finish in eighth place in both the discus and javelin throws. “The advantage for competing for a community college is we don’t have the pressure that a four-year (athlete) does,” said Faapouli. “We don’t have anything to lose, but so much to gain.” According to freshman sprinter Lucrecia Capano, the Comets continue to get better every meet. “Everybody may not PR (personal record), but as a whole, the team feels really strong about how they compete,” Capano said. Capano was able to finish in eighth place in 100-meter dash at a time of 12.92. Due to the youth of this team, Coach Williams believes they can only get better. She said they are all really great athletes but sometimes lack in confidence. However, confidence is built through experience and competition, for the freshmen there is plenty of time to build this trait. In regards to the season, Coach Williams said she is happy with her teams performance
thus far, but she really just utilizes the beginning of the season to get her athletes acclimated to competing. “They get to learn awareness of time. Heats don’t always start on time, so they (the athletes) have to be aware of their surroundings; know when to warm up, know when to cool down and know when their race is coming up,” Coach Williams said. Her intentions are not to disregard the importance of the beginning of the season, but she wants her athletes ready for the meets that really matter. The first meet that holds substance is the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) prelims April 18 in San Bernardino. With three girls on the team with a history of having torn their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) prior to this season, it is reasonable to have a fear of the team suffering from injuries. Fortunately, the Comets have not had to deal with any major issues this season. “We get some aches and pains here and there, but overall we’re doing okay.”
sroberson@the-telescope.com @scottroberson55
Palomar field athlete Soliaana Faapouli, who placed second in the hammer toss, competes in the javelin throw on March 9 during the 2013 San Diego Collegiate Challenge at UC San Diego. • Peter Ahsue/Telescope
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball looks to improve after slow start
david krueger
the telescope
Palomar men’s volleyball team huddles around head coach Bjorn Dahl before the game against Golden West on March 8 in the Dome. • David Krueger/Telescope
After a new wave of freshmen made their way on to the men’s volleyball team this season, chemistry between the players has been a challenge. Palomar came up short against Golden West losing in three sets, 21-25, 21-16, 25-23, 2426, at the Dome. Starting outside hitter, Nick Supple, 19, said, “We’re getting better every single game we play.” That seems to be the main focus for the team right now, according to Head Coach Bjorn Dahl. “We just keep trying to improve in what we’re doing,” said Dahl. Even after the tough loss
against Golden West, players still kept their heads high. “It’s a tough loss, and hopefully we’ll get back in the gym and work harder and then play better in the game,” said Supple. The amount of players on this year’s team has significantly decreased in comparison to years prior. They’ve dropped from having eighteen men down to only nine this season. Another disadvantage the team faces is the lack of height of the players. Dahl said he expects the guys to work that much harder. “We have to be one of the most disciplined teams out there just because of our size. We can’t do the things that the big guys can,”
said Dahl. Freshman Kyle Bass, 19, says that in order for the team to improve, they need to start focusing more on talking to each other during the game. “Communication, just knowing our jobs on the court,” said Bass. Even though there are no returning players from last season, Bjorn feels that the young team shows signs of potential if they work together and play smart. “We’re doing a good job passing. We’re doing a good job defensively. We need to make sure we’re in the right position to give ourselves a chance to get a swing for a kill, for a point,” said Dahl.
dkrueger@the-telescope.com